>> There are children by the millions stuck in government schools who are just as bright and similarly talented as my son,..but...these institutionalized children are artificially held back merely to serve as widgets in providing jobs to government employees in the education-industrial-complex.
Congratulations to you and your child. Impressive. Nonetheless, home-school parents tend to think that their way is the only way to a quality education. It isn’t. I am a product of public education, and am relatively successful, well educated, and well adjusted. I graduated public school only 11 years ago — so this isn’t as if I grew up in the 50’s.
Like home-schools, public school can be a mixed bag ... there are bad schools, and good ones. Generally, the schools are as bad or as good as the parents demand. In low income areas, they tend to suck because parents tend not to care — i. e. they are uninvolved. Because the parents are uninvolved, the kids are poorly civilized, and good teachers won’t teach in a war-zone. Parental involvement necessarily leads to better behaved students, which leads to better teachers, which leads to better educated students.
However, there are public schools with involved parents, good teachers, and exceptionally well educated and well behaved children. For instance, the schools in suburban Houston are quite good.
Home-schools can be bad as well. I’ve heard of home-schools where the parents were hippies and took their kids out of public school because it was indoctrinating their kids with authoritarianism and imperialism. The school was set up as some kind of commune ... and the kids were dumb as bricks.
Ultimately, its all about parenting.
H
I tend to believe that homeschooling done by caring, motivated, and reasonably intelligent parents is the best and most natural way to rear and educate a child. BUT....Obviously, for many reasons many parents can not homeschool. These children will need to be institutionalized.
It is possible to get a quality education while institutionalized, however it is difficult to determine how much learning is happening because of the institution or how much is due to the parent and child's "after schooling" efforts. More research needs to be done in this area. My "guess" is that academically successful children are successful due to their "afterschooling", not their due their institutionalization.
There are some highly successful charters ( for example KIPP) that are working wonders but they are essentially recreating in their schools what normal occurs in a functional family.
It isn’t. I am a product of public education, and am relatively successful, well educated, and well adjusted. I graduated public school only 11 years ago — so this isn’t as if I grew up in the 50’s.
Again,....I think this needs to be researched. How much of your success was due to your and your parents' "afterschooling"? Although you may have an opinion about this it would not be unbiased.
Like home-schools, public school can be a mixed bag ... there are bad schools, and good ones.
I surely do agree.
Generally, the schools are as bad or as good as the parents demand. In low income areas, they tend to suck because parents tend not to care — i. e. they are uninvolved.
I contend that schools are "good" or "bad" depending upon the amount of "afterschooling" that is going on at home. Schools like the KIPP schools are essential attempting to recreate in the school what would otherwise be occurring in a normal family that values education.
Because the parents are uninvolved, the kids are poorly civilized, and good teachers won’t teach in a war-zone. Parental involvement necessarily leads to better behaved students, which leads to better teachers, which leads to better educated students.
Again....
I contend that schools are "good" or "bad" depending upon the amount of "afterschooling" that is going on at home. Schools like the KIPP schools are essential attempting to recreate in the school what would otherwise be occurring in a normal family that values education.
However, there are public schools with involved parents, good teachers, and exceptionally well educated and well behaved children. For instance, the schools in suburban Houston are quite good.
Again....I contend that schools are "good" or "bad" depending upon the amount of "afterschooling" that is going on at home. Schools like the KIPP schools are essential attempting to recreate in the school what would otherwise be occurring in a normal family that values education.
Home-schools can be bad as well. I’ve heard of home-schools where the parents were hippies and took their kids out of public school because it was indoctrinating their kids with authoritarianism and imperialism. The school was set up as some kind of commune ... and the kids were dumb as bricks.
The stats show that homeschoolers far out shine those who are institutionalized for their education. Of course there is always be a bell curve in homeschooling too. Someone will be on the left side of the curve.
Ultimately, its all about parenting.
I wholehearted agree!
If there is a great institutional school, there is likely a **ton** of afterschooling going on! Who takes the credit? The teachers and principals of course! :)
Congratulations to you and your child. Impressive.
Thank you....But...By homeschooling standards my children's achievements are not unusual. They didn't win any national championships. They are not on the New York Times best seller list. They are making millions in sports. They are normally bright children. It is merely that by not be institutionalized , and by being thoughtfully homeschooled, they developed **normally**. It is the institutionalized child who is too often artificially delayed educationally and socially.
Except when it's not . . . . . .
How does one explain me? My parents actively discouraged me from going to college and could have cared less about how any of us did in school as long as we did our chores. Not only that, I suffered various means of abuse that are not appropriate for discussion.
It was only at school and in books that I found peace - even though family members would yank books out of my hands and laugh at me for reading the same ones over and over. Why? I only had 4 - Heidi, Little Women, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and the Wizard of Oz. All books given to me by the people I adored more than anyone - teachers. I worshiped them because they were kind to a clumsy, ugly little duckling who just wanted to be noticed. I left home at 17 and never returned for more than a few days at a time. I stayed at college over the summers and if anyone at home cared, I never heard about it.
So, there you have it, it was only at school where I felt kindness, even though the schools were far from perfect. I still remembered being bullied in middle school and ostracized at times in high school, but I came to expect it. It was until I met my husband that I stepped on the path to healing.
So, in my case, it wasn't about parenting, it was about teachers - teachers that were more or less paid to like me. Good thing isn't it?